Time Stands Still When I'm Around You
by xMysterious Darknessx
Summary: Ever since the awakening of Chaos, Vincent has been plagued by incessant nightmares, living with Reeve Tuesti as his new caretaker. Can Reeve fill the void in Vincent’s heart and save him from these horrors? Reeve/Vincent--Valentine's Day oneshot


**: Time Stands Still When I'm Around You :**

**Game ----- Final Fantasy VII**

**Rating: **T

**Genre: **Romance

**Warnings: **Yaoi, slash, images of horror (I mean actual bloodshed here)

**Pairings:** ReevexVincent; implied CloudxZack

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters used... sadly. I only love to control them to my will--muahaha!

**Summary: **Ever since the awakening of Chaos, Vincent has been plagued by incessant nightmares, living with Reeve Tuesti as his new caretaker. Can Reeve fill the void in Vincent's heart and save him from these horrors?

_And so it begins..._

After the all-out battle barrage against Deepground and Vincent's triumphant victory against Omega... things, at first, seemed a little slow. Recovery seemed almost impossible but within a month's work--things had begun to feel rather the same. The 'disappeared' suddenly began reappearing, Shinra apologized for the near-apocalypse and Rufus continued funding the new-found Regenisis Program, Reeve resumed his duties as commissioner... It had been a long hard journey, but they had won this war. The few WRO members who had survived still remained loyal to their faithful leader, cleaning the streets and burning the empty bodies as instructed...

The nation was beginning to grow healthy once more.

It had been a month, yes, but everything seemed to be healing... well, everyone that is... except Vincent. At first it seemed almost normal that this would occur, that the battle for dominance within Vincent had not yet truly been won, but... it made Reeve worry. Reeve was just as inseparable from his work as ever--perhaps even more so now that his work involved caring for a certain someone... Nightmares and dreams plaguing the man each moment he spent sleeping--Reeve could only watch in horror, veiled by a mask of hope, knowing he could do nothing...

But Vincent had never asked for anything more than Reeve's care, and even that he did not say aloud. But Reeve knew Vincent needed someone... and Reeve could only hope he was enough. Little did Reeve know that he was exactly what the other man needed.

Reeve sighed aloud, realizing his thoughts had once again destroyed his mood for the millionth time that week--but really, what mood was there to destroy when all the hours Reeve spent awake went to worrying about Vincent...? Certainly not a happy one. The usually so independent and self-possessed man now only a fearful play-toy of Chaos... it was truly horrifying.

Reeve knocked hesitantly on the door which now led to Vincent's own room, holding in the other hand a bowl of nice, warm soup. Reeve had remembered Vincent mumbling the other day about his throat being sore and so the man had decided to go with something liquidy... something that might help. In fact, more and more frequently since Vincent had come to live with him, Reeve found himself in the kitchen. It was almost strange, but Reeve enjoyed it nonetheless. "Vincent? Are you awake?" Reeve asked unsurely. It was nearing eleven o'clock at night and, though Reeve knew Vincent didn't honestly like sleeping, he could never really be sure.

After a moment of silence, getting no response, Reeve shook the thought from his mind and entered. There was a small window just opposite the door through which the moonlight pooled through, gleaming brightly upon the sheet-less mattress a top which lay a sprawled out Vincent. Reeve felt a small blush come over his face, glad now that he was surrounded by darkness, as he noticed the slim stomach of the man peeking out from the shirt he had borrowed from Reeve.

Reeve approached hesitantly, still unsure whether he was awake or not. He set the soup on the small bedside table, upon which also sat a lamp--it did not work, but Reeve had kept it anyways because he thought at least some furnishing would look nice in the almost-empty room. "Vincent?" he called softly, brushing a small strand of hair out of Vincent's face as he stepped closer carefully.

"Reeve," came the hoarse reply, surprising Reeve.

He jumped. "Y-You're awake?" Reeve asked, his hand moving away on its own accord.

Vincent then opened his eyes to reveal to glowing red orbs, fascinating Reeve. "Does that answer your question?" Vincent replied, his voice cracking.

Reeve flashed a concerned frown. "Your voice..."

Vincent coughed. "Yeah, forgive me... It's a little hoarse."

"What are you apologizing for?" Reeve asked incredulously. But, instead of giving Vincent the time to reply, he carefully lifted the bowl into his hands. "You'll have to sit up, but I made you some soup."

Vincent gladly obliged, carefully raising himself to Reeve's level. "You didn't have to..." But his voice would not allow his to finish, his throat burning horribly. Vincent looked away ashamedly.

"I did it because I wanted to. Please, try it," Reeve encouraged, gently lifting one of Vincent's arms and making him take it.

Vincent's attention immediately shifted back to Reeve. _Did he just...?_ Vincent had almost felt his heart skip a beat, scolding himself for the way his body would react each time Reeve was near to him. "I... Thank you."

Reeve nodded. "Try it," he repeated softly.

Vincent lifted the spoon carefully to his lips and tasted the delicious substance. Instantly he was hooked. Gracefully gulping down two more spoonfuls, he looked to Reeve. "I love it."

Reeve smiled. "I'm glad. It potato and corn alfredo... I remember a time, however long ago, you told me how much you liked the stuff and so I decided I might surprise you. I hope I made it right..."

"It's delicious, Reeve," Vincent assured him honestly. He took a few more sips before continuing, allowing the warmth of the liquid sooth away the burning sensation in his throat. "Better than I remember," he corrected himself.

"I hope it helps you're throat," Reeve said, feeling warm inside. He'd just been complimented by his greatest hero.

"I think it is," Vincent replied around a mouthful. By now, he was gulping the stuff down, not messily, but rather quickly.

Reeve swallowed. The way the man twisted his tongue around the spoon to enjoy the stuff looked as if he were almost trying to pleasure the spoon itself. This made Reeve blush, scolding himself for thinking such a thing. But even as he did, he could not take his eyes away. The sensual way Vincent's tongue caressed the spoon, lapping up the milky substance... it was almost too much for Reeve. In fact, he began to feel slightly light-headed.

Vincent noticed the way Reeve was now staring at him. "Sorry, did you want some?" he asked innocently.

But Reeve--and his twisted mind--misinterpreted Vincent's words. "Do... Do I _what?"_ he asked breathlessly.

"The soup. You look... hungry," Vincent pointed out. He was right, only not completely.

"Uh... Oh. Y-Yeah, I'm... hungry. I think I'll go g-get some in the kitchen," Reeve stuttered, standing up rather stoic-like.

Vincent wondered briefly what had gotten the man so tongue-tied as Reeve left the room rather hurriedly. Getting up, Vincent slowly and silently followed behind him, carrying with him what little was left of his soup. Turning the corner of the hall which led to the kitchen he noticed Reeve sitting in a chair in front of the bar-like counter, head in one hand--he looked deep in thought and Vincent wondered if it was something he had done. He felt guilty and reasoned with himself that it would be wrong to 'spy' on the man as he stepped into the kitchen.

The whole room was engulfed in moonlight so Vincent was sure Reeve would spot him so, indifferently, Vincent made his way to take a seat beside the man. Reeve's eyes lit up in shock and Vincent sensed worry in the man's eyes. "Hey... are you alright?"

Reeve blushed and looked away. "Just a little tired," he muttered in reply.

"You should get some sleep, Reeve," Vincent said softly. "You deserve it." A silence passed between the two. Vincent stood and washed the empty bowl, setting it beside the sink to dry.

"Thanks..." Reeve said softly, still deep in thought.

"No problem," Vincent replied. "You're the one who made it for me, after all. You shouldn't have to do all the work around here."

"I don't mind, though, you know..." Reeve looked up and their eyes made contact.

Vincent felt a strange intensity in Reeve's gaze. Not looking away, Vincent changed the subject. "Seriously, Reeve. Sleep--Get some much needed rest, alright?"

Reeve smiled a little, shifting his gaze downward. "Yeah... Yeah, I suppose I should," he replied, standing to leave. "And you, too, okay?"

Vincent didn't want to think about sleep though... he knew what came of it. "Yeah... I'll try."

Reeve gave a small smile. "Good."

Vincent stared after the man as he gracefully began to walk away--something inside Vincent wanted him to stop Reeve, wanted him to stay. "Reeve," Vincent called.

"Yes?" Reeve replied, turning just barely to look at Vincent over his shoulder.

"Um..." But Vincent couldn't say it... he knew Reeve deserved better, as well as a good night's sleep. "Good night." Vincent cursed himself for his stupidity and hopelessness.

Reeve smiled that familiar, yet sadly rare at the same time, smile again. He nodded. "Good night."

And Vincent felt an intense longing for Reeve's company as he left the room, a sudden feeling of complete loneliness surrounding him--overwhelming him...

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It took Reeve nearly an hour to fall asleep--his mind refusing to put such thoughts of a certain crimson-eyed fellow aside. It was killing him inside--this strange, enchanting desire... But it would be wrong of him to claim what was not his. He did not _own _Vincent. The one person which mattered most to him... he could not lose him--even if that meant depriving him of his deepest, most-secret desires. No, he was going to protect Vincent at all costs. And in whatever way possible, he was going to help save Vincent from the nightmares...

And, though Reeve wasn't yet sure how... This time, he was going to be _Vincent's _hero.

Vincent's unconscious body writhed in the torn cotton sheets as images of innocent blood being spilt on his behalf ran through his mind. People were slaughtered, _murdered_ for a purpose he knew not of. Chaos' bloodlust was never satisfied, _never-ending_ it would seem. Dead, lifeless bodies flooded the streets which had been so cheerful just moments ago, before _he _came...

It wasn't '_Chaos!' _they would cry, oh no. People quivered in fear whenever they heard the name _Vincent Valentine_ sound from the alarm speakers. Death everywhere; blood splattered on every wall, every _street_. Children lay dismantled and beheaded in the arms of their weeping parents--the ones who'd survived at the sacrifice of their very families.

Vincent fought the demon within himself but, as always, had evidently lost. His strength simply did not compare and he knew that in the end he would simply have to watch as his body uncontrollably rampaged through the city, slaughtering all in sight.

A pain, fierce as the fiery flames of hell itself, burned within Vincent--destroying him, _breaking _him. He put up a good fight, of course, but he was no match for Chaos' power--it was too strong, too impenetrable. The failure to stop Chaos was devastating, killing Vincent in the worst way possible--just not completely. And this, for Vincent, happened every time he would fall asleep.

Of course, in part, he was glad though. Glad--because it meant he wasn't really doing any harm to those he cared about. Glad... because it was only he who was suffering from this. And as long as that was the case... he wouldn't allow any sort of reaction of complaint to escape his lips... He wouldn't allow his problems to further trouble others in any way of communication.

But this dream... Vincent could sense something was different. Something was wrong--terribly wrong. The building Chaos had entered was familiar to him...

It was Reeve's apartment.

"Reeve! No!" Vincent shouted, gasping for air as he flew into an upright position in a top his bed, the covers long discarded. And he sat like that for a while, letting the reality sink in that Chaos had _not _just ripped apart the man he loved so dearly. Slowly coming to his senses, Vincent jumped out of bed and rushed right out of the room.

He practically ran down the hall to Reeve's bedroom. The fierce, speedy beat of his heart drowned out the surrounding quietness of the small apartment. _Reeve..._ Vincent panted heavy breaths of relief as he came up to the man now confirmed to be safely asleep in his own bed.

_He looks... so serene--so peaceful._

And Vincent couldn't help but think that that was how Reeve deserved to feel everyday... without Vincent always there to bother him. But, even as Vincent wanted the best for Reeve, he couldn't manage to make himself leave. Instead, gazing at the man made him feel calm, comforted... like he belonged--and that was a very new feeling indeed...

And as Vincent continued to stare, he began to feel as if he were becoming entranced by Reeve's beauty; the perfect shade of his soft skin, the vibrant texture of his sleek hair, the way his lips parted just _perfectly._..

Vincent then kneeled at Reeve's bedside to stare at the man's beautiful, soft face. He looked so... fragile. Vincent sighed. It was when he would wake from the nightmares that he would visit Reeve's sleeping form like this, gazing at him from afar--longing to feel and touch that which he so desperately desired. And this time... he did.

Reaching out, Vincent lightly stroked the men's cheek, finding his skin to be like velvet and his hair--like satin! "Reeve..." Vincent whispered. Never before had he gotten this close the man. Hell, he never got this close to _anyone--_except, perhaps, when he was about to kill them, and he was most _definitely_ not about to harm Reeve... Not physically, anyways.

Vincent felt something special with Reeve... Something he'd never found anywhere else--though he'd heard about it. He remembered back to one of his late night chats with Cloud and how curious it had made Vincent... It had been about Zack. It was rare that Cloud ever opened up like he did that night. He had told him about Zack, his best friend as well as the love of his life, and he'd confessed to Vincent about how he'd felt the day he'd died, how torn up he'd been ever since that. Vincent had always wondered what it was like... to love someone so dearly...

Of course, when he'd talked with Cloud that one night--he had thought he understood what he felt, but at the same time... not completely. He had thought about Lucrecia, about his feelings for her--his strange infatuation. But as Cloud had described what love was truly like... he realized that his feelings for Lucrecia, they were not the same...

_"Hm." Vincent sounded amused. "Are you trying to tell me _you'_ve been in love before?"_

_"Do I have to say it directly?" Cloud shot back sarcastically._

_"It might help," Vincent replied, passing the man a drink._

_A sigh. "Look... all I'm trying to say is that when you're in love, you'll know," Cloud said, his eyes distant as if he were deep in thought, reminiscing about the love he had lost... "When you find that someone… you feel like you wanna scream their name so fucking loud that even a stone-deaf geezer would hear you shouting. You feel like you can fly, even without wings; as if that very person has just written a law which defies gravity. When you're in love... it's like nothing else matters. The world freezes and even time itself stops when you're with that person..."_

Snapping back to reality and out of his reverie, Vincent felt Reeve shift slightly. "Vincent...?" Reeve mumbled, half-lidded. Reeve couldn't confirm yet what was kneeling before due to his blurry vision him so he tried blink once. Twice. Three times. "Vincent!" he exclaimed in a whisper as if he were breathless. "Is... Is something wrong?" he inquired, his soft voice returning to him.

Vincent, curious beyond contemplation, looked at the clock hanging on the wall, lit up in the moonlight. All three hands were frozen at 3:14:55. He smiled. "Quite the opposite," he said before leaning in to gently capture the lips he'd longed to caress ever since he'd laid eyes on the man--only now there was a deeper emotion behind this now as he ran his tongue along Reeve's bottom lip. _Love._ And he knew it to be so. He'd never felt so alive and yet calm at the same time. Like he wanted to scream out of pure happiness; like he could _fly..._ even without his wings. And Cloud was right--this feeling, it was very real. And time, well, Vincent realized that even Cloud did not know the true power his words held.

Reeve felt a shiver from the sheer _pleasure_ of the kiss as it was further deepened with a reflexive gasp from himself, Vincent's tongue diving in to explore the moist cavern that was Reeve's mouth. And, even though there were millions of questions running through his mind, he _moaned_--moaned as every thought was erased blissfully from his mind except for one, and that was: _"I love you..."_

When Vincent felt Reeve respond, he felt his heart skip a beat--the pressure Reeve added now pushing him up and over the edge. Reaching up, Vincent twined his hands through Reeve's soft hair, pulling at it with such desperation. "Reeve," Vincent moaned, parting their lips. The scent of vanilla radiated from the man and Vincent soon found himself intoxicated by the wonderful, overwhelming scent. "God, you smell good." And Vincent couldn't resist--panting heavily, he nuzzled against Reeve so as to get an even greater whiff of his scent and opened his mouth before lavishly biting Reeve's neck and sucking _hard_.

"Vince--_Ooh!"_ Reeve moaned pleasurably as Vincent sucked in just the right spot, loving the feeling of Vincent's fingers running through his hair.

Vincent, after he was finished caressing the favored patch of skin--knowing it would show up in the morning--looked into Reeve's eyes. "I love you, Reeve." He had to tell Reeve this now... for fear of what was to come tomorrow--or any day.

Reeve stared into Vincent's glowing eyes and couldn't help but smile. "I... I love you, too, Vincent," he said, genuinely happy.

Vincent smiled and kissed the man again--only it was shorter this time.

Reeve broke the kiss, pulling away and making room in his small bed for the other man. "Come on, let's get some sleep."

And to this, Vincent graciously agreed, crawling comfortably beside Reeve. He had no doubt that tonight would be the night he would be getting some actual sleep for the first time in a whole month...

And the best part... He was right.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Reeve yawned and stretched, light burning through his closed eyes. The beginnings of a new day were upon him. But as he tossed to the side, Reeve realized something was missing. Where was Vincent? Had it been only a dream...?

Sighing miserably, mentally kicking himself for how desperately he wished last night to be real. As he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he checked the clock: 3.14. Shit. _Was it really that late?_

With the worry of how Vincent must be feeling, still hopeful that his nightmares had ended, Reeve scrambled out of bed--not caring enough to get dressed. Upon rounding the corner though, he was shocked to find Vincent standing there. And he was _cooking._ "V... Vincent?"

This seemed to get his attention. A smile greeted Reeve. And if that wasn't enough to surprise the man, Vincent spoke with a clear voice no longer sounding dry. "Good morning," he said, sounding strangely cheerful.

Reeve wondered for a moment what it was that had gotten him in such a mood as he approached the man. "You're cooking," Reeve pointed out, leaning against the counter next to Vincent to see what he was making--he was aw-struck by what he found

"Yep, scrambled eggs... Your favorite, right? I was hoping my memory was accurate..."

Reeve stared at him breathlessly, "I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything," Vincent purred, pulling the man into a soft kiss with one small hand, the other currently in use with the spatula.

Reeve, for an instant, thought he was still dreaming and then it hit him... it wasn't a dream! "You mean... last night... it--it was real?" Reeve smiled.

Vincent rolled his eyes and shifted his attention back to the eggs.

Reeve chuckled. "Well, then, I guess that gives me permission to do this," Reeve mused, coming behind Vincent and wrapping his arms around his waist.

Vincent chuckled as well. "Alright," he agreed sarcastically. "Just don't distract me. Wouldn't want me to burn your precious eggs now, would you?"

"Definitely not," Reeve replied, planting a kiss on Vincent's cheek. A moment of comfortable silence passed between them, each lost in their own thoughts. "Hey..." Reeve started distantly, staring curiously at the digital clock on the wall opposite to him. It read: 10:22 am. "I think there's something wrong with the clock in my room."

"Oh really, why's that?"

"I thought it was already 3:14 in the afternoon!" Reeve replied incredulously.

And for the first time since his awakening, Vincent laughed. And it wasn't just some small chuckle, he was actually laughing!

Feeling shocked and incredibly happy at the same time, Reeve spun the man around to face him. "You're laughing..." he said admiringly, truly surprised.

Vincent just smiled knowingly. "People do crazy things when they're in love..." And with that, he leaned into Reeve and kissed him passionately, the spatula lying forgotten on the counter top.

_**Owari~**_

Hey guys! It's Valentine's Day--I met my deadline with 3 minutes to spare! Time: 11:57pm. Yeah, that's skill right there. I hope you enjoyed this! I have a new-found obsession with this pairing. I utterly _adore_ these two and I sincerely hope that they didn't seem too out of character… I think the saying should go 'People can act really, really out of character when there in love', ne? Just an idea. Thanks for reading! See you next time~

xMysterious Darknessx

_P.S. Happy Valentine's Day! (Valentine... Vincent Valentine... Reeve's Valentine)_


End file.
